The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-03-31
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
The commissioners Make Detailed
Report of the Workings
of the Law.

NEW YORK, March 3o.-The report of this
special committee of the National Civil Ser
vice Reform League upon the present condi.
dition of the reform movement, and the rela.
tions to it of the national, State and munich.
pal administrations, made public today
shows that New York and Massachusetts
are the only States in which a reformed
State and municipal system have been intro
duced In both States the reform laws have
been faithfully executed, and their practical
wisdom has been fully vindicated. In Mas
sachusetts the whole number Of persons in
cluded in the classified service is 1896, at
tached to the clerical, police, prison, fire and
labor departments. and official testimony to
the success OF the reformed system is con-
elusive.
In New York, the whole number of per-
sons included in the classified service, is
1885, of which 1919 are in the State service.
All reports from this State show an honest
eff0rt to enforce the law effectively, and the
benefits thereof are every where apparent.
In regard to the civil service in the national
administration, the report includes quota
tlods from various speeches by President
cleveland on the subject, and also public
documents. including his letter of accept
ance and inaugural address. 1t was plainly
unreasonable, the report says, to infer from
ssSoS uiotAhOt otdJciltulS tudI Il6 principles
OF reform as understood by the League,
would be observed uniformly and consistent
ly py the administration, or that the practi-
caDllity OF applying those principles through
out the national civil service could be judged
by the actual conduct of the executive. In
testing that conduct by the principles of re-
form, II is mere justice to the President to
recall these facts, and to remember that he
nad not authorized, by any fair interpreta-
tion tiO OF ms words, the extravagant anticipa-
N nnft .taI~.. -
lshed by some friends of reform His real
poSitlon and the actual scope of his pledges
VIII pc borne carefully in mind by every
candid critic Of the administration. The re-
port then refers to the difficulty that the
PRESIDENT experiences in obtaining knowl-
edge as to the actual merits of appointees,
ana excuses some errors in making
appointments on the ground of bad advice.
In TINS connection the report says that Pres
iqent CieVelands well known views upon
the SUBJECT OF the reform in the civil service
were not shared, nor was the reformed sys-
tenn generally understood or favored in its
purpose or its details, by many of the promi-
nent leaders OF his party. Yet it is from
s9cn leaders That the selection of the heads
OF the department is properly made. This
situation was serious embarrassment to
the PRESIDENT in fulfllment of his pledges
at the outset of the administration and pre-
sented the difficulties which can be readily
perceived and which must be fairly weighed.
nominations is characterized as a ffagrant
outrage upon the spirit of the constitution,
and the report comments severely upon the
general practice of members of Congress
urging appointments to Office of
In many cases the President must adopt.
Ihen followed general arraignment of
the republican party for the existence of the
spolls system during several admininistra-
tlon. Inc next reference to the defects in
the civil garviQa cd ~
administration concludes as follows: "Yet
snch lrregularity would by no means necssa-
riiy imply executive duplcity nor wantOn
a0ondment Of solemn public pledges" The
report then refers to actual removals and sus-
pensions, and proceeds as follows: ''In the
treasury the removals were 81 per cent, the
appointments 103 In the War Department
the removals were 3 per cent, including
IL dlsmlssals by the reduction of the force,
ana tne appointments 6 As per cent In the
Post Office Department the removals were
= per cent. and appointments II per cent. In
the Interior Department the removals were
4per cent, appointments per cent, and In
the Department Of Justice the removals
msfe pef cent and appointments
ccentage of change there have been
individual instances of Injustice, of
forced resignation, and Of arbitrary
dlsmlssals certainly. The report from Wash
ington, however, upon the whole is gratify-
pressure for change more concentrated and
constant. But the figures show that the
rules IN general have been faithfully OBJ
served. Not for half century have there
been so few removals in that service within
the same time upon party change of admin
lstration, and observance of rules and condi-
tlon OF service in departments demonstrate
once more both the practibility and benefit
OF REFORM Touching the dismissal of post
masters and others for Offensive partisan
clin' tho oau ,ol,
ton, and assert that that course was indis-
penSable to reform in the strict pursuance of
the PRESIDENTS pledges because these post
oinces had been converted into party agen-
cles, which made them publicly offensive and
no abuse required more summary and ener-
getlc treatment. But still though the sec
ond shows that the removals in Presidential
post offices within the first 16 months of the
administration had been little more than 30
per cent Many OF these changes had merely
substituted offensive partisans of one party
for offensive partisans Of another. Other
partisans still continue in office who are
squarely offensive with those who were re-
moved for such partisanship... The case Of
the postmaster of indianapolis is cited in
this connection, and the evidence established
conclusively the most offensive partisanship
In the management of the ofice-partisan-
ship which, unless disproved, demands the
removal of the postmaster as imperatiyely as
that OF any officer who has been removed
for that reason. The report shows that
sweeping changes have been made in all the
federal offices in Indiana, very few, if any,
lncumbentS having been retained, while
there have been no removals for partisan
reasons. Referring to Maryland, the report
declared that in no State of the Union prob
ably are politics more corrupt. Fraud and
dishonesty are especially familiar at the
elections in Baltimore. Senator German,
who Is called an adroit politician, is de-
nounced for his opposition to civil service
reform and for bad advice to the admins
tration. as shown by the appointment Of Hig-
gins and other wellknown political workers to
report says: 1t is not to be denied that the
administration has left much to be desired.
But upon the showing Of this report, which
has neither concealed nor extenuated the
most Injurious facts of our estimate of the
situation, the administration. under enormous
disadvantages and perplexitits, has accom-
plished much for the reform of the civil SER
vice. Great public offices, which hitherto
have been partisan headquarters, have been
transformed into strictly business offices.
Not for half a century has there
been less obnoxious political activity
among Office 9Iholders. Political assess
ments, although not entirely abolished,
have been effeetnally discredited and discon-
tinued where they were formerly arbitrarily
enforced. Confidence and self respect has
been consequently stimulated throughout
the service, and the moral which the tenure
by personal and political favoritism destroys
has been signally elevated and strengthened.
The report is signed by George William
Curtis, Carl Schurz, Wayne McVeagh, Chas.
j. Bonaparte, Charles r. Goldman, Charles
Clafiin Allen, and William Potts.